Detailed Agenda
8:30am
Registration, Networking, and Continental Breakfast
10:00am
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Palm Beach County is excited to welcome you to the 17th Annual Southeast Florida Climate Summit! Join us for a warm, hospitable welcome from Deputy County Administrator Patrick Rutter!
10:05am
Palm Beach County State of Resiliency
Join us for remarks from a Palm Beach County elected official (TBD) on the state of resiliency in Palm Beach County.
10:20am
Florida Housing Coalition
Ashon Nesbitt, the CEO of the Florida Housing Coalition, will provide critical insights into the intersection of housing and climate resilience in Florida. He will discuss the unique challenges faced by the state's communities as climate impacts intensify and housing prices rise. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how robust housing infrastructure and equitable development are paramount to Florida's overall climate adaptation efforts. This session is essential for anyone interested in actionable solutions for a resilient future.
10:50am
What Does the Data Say? South Florida Climate Indicators
Southeast Florida is already experiencing climate impacts including rising temperatures, sea levels, and more frequent extreme weather events that affect people, infrastructure, and natural ecosystems. The four-county Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact recently released a 2025 update of its Climate Indicators Report, developed in collaboration with local climate experts, academic researchers, and local government resilience staff. Attendees will learn about recent updates and how to use the Climate Indicators to guide planning, inform policy, and support regional climate resilience.
11:05am
Creating Resilient Futures: Compact CROs in Dialogue
The Chief Resilience Officers (CROs) of Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties have been working diligently with County colleagues, municipal governments, and local organizations to create a resilient future for residents of Southeast Florida. In this panel, the CROs will share resilience highlights and priorities for the upcoming year. This direct dialogue offers a unique opportunity to understand regional coordination and future priorities directly from the leaders shaping them.
12:00pm
Group Luncheon
1:15pm
Local Government "Roots of Resilience" Showcase
Wondering what local governments are doing to create resilient communities? This fast-paced showcase will feature quick, impactful presentations featuring living shorelines, innovative park designs, and afforestation projects that are making South Florida more resilient.
2:15pm
Monroe County State of Resilience
Join us for remarks from Mayor Pro Tem Michelle Lincoln on the state of resiliency in Monroe County.
2:30pm
Afternoon Break
3:00pm
Integrated Solutions: Housing and Climate Resilience in Action
Affordable housing and climate resilience are not mutually exclusive. Ensuring that affordable housing is resilient and can withstand climate disruptions is critical, especially in Florida. We will look at how data and GIS mapping can help reveal where affordable housing overlaps with climate-related risks, such as flooding and extreme heat. This session will also discuss what affordable housing owners and managers are doing to integrate climate resilience into their operations.
3:40pm
Sponsor-Led Stretch Break
3:45pm
Routes to Resilience: Sustainable Transportation Design and Systems
As municipalities rapidly urbanize and we continue to work toward a greener future, sustainable transportation remains at the forefront of civic affairs. How can we ensure streets have safe access for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders? What are we doing to lower greenhouse gas emissions when designing transportation systems? How can we create transit-oriented development? Transportation specialists from Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe County will provide actionable insights into these critical questions and showcase successful regional initiatives.
Kim DeLaney
Director of Strategic Development & Policy
Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council
4:30pm
We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate
Join us for a special keynote from renowned author and journalist, Michael Grunwald! His expertise spans politics, communications, and environmental affairs. Grunwald will discuss his latest book “We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate,” published in July 2025. His keynote will cover opportunities for local governments to support sustainable food systems, the connection between food systems and climate change, and the importance of urban agriculture. Grunwald’s prior literary work includes “The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise” and “The New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era.”
5:00pm
Thank You and Invite to Welcome Reception, City of West Palm Beach Mayor
Join us for Welcome Remarks from West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James as we conclude the first day of the Annual Southeast Florida Climate Summit.
5:05pm
Welcome Networking Social
7:30am
Arrival, Breakfast, Networking, and Registration
8:30am
Welcome & Opening Remarks
8:35am
De-Risking the Sunshine State: Solutions for South Florida's Climate Insurance and Investment Landscape
Explore the critical financial implications of climate change on South Florida's housing, mortgage, and insurance markets. This session will delve into how increased climate risk challenges affordability and showcase responsive strategies from local governments, insurance providers, and lenders."
The list of panelists will be announced in the coming weeks.
9:30am
Miami Dade County State of Resilience
Join us for remarks from County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on the state of resiliency in Miami-Dade.
9:45am
Mid-Morning Break
10:15am
Operationalizing Climate Resilience Across South Florida's Counties
County administrators play a significant role in local government by managing departments, overseeing operations, and implementing policy. This session offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from county administrators and officials on their strategies for integrating resilience into daily operations, navigating investment challenges, and fostering leadership across departments to achieve regional climate goals.
11:15am
Non-Profit and Technology "Roots of Resilience" Showcase
The work that local non-profit organizations and tech companies do to help advance climate resilience is important to the vitality of South Florida. This session will include speakers from the CLEO Institute, the Everglades Foundation, Ferguson|Waterworks, KindDesign Living Seawalls, and more! In this fast-paced session, we will learn what these entities are doing to help protect and create a resilient South Florida.
Karen Jernigan
Director, U.S. Market Transformation & Development
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
12:00pm
Group Luncheon
1:15pm
Distaster Recovery and Management
The list of panelists will be announced in the coming weeks.
2:10pm
Sponsor-Led Stretch Break
2:15pm
Broward County State of Resilience
Join us for remarks from County Mayor Beam Furr on the state of resiliency in Broward.
2:30pm
Salty Urbanism: A Design Framework for Climate Adaptation and Sea Level Rise for Urban Areas in the Coastal Zone
This special keynote will feature Jeffery E. Huber, professor and author of “Salty Urbanism: A Design Manual to Address Sea Level Rise and Climate Change for Urban Areas in the Coastal Zones”! His expertise spans sustainability, ecology, climate change, and architectural design. Huber’s keynote will explore best practices for innovative adaptation infrastructure for South Florida and nature-based solutions for protecting shorelines from climate impacts.
3:00pm
Virtual Worlds, Real Solutions: The Power of Resiliency Tech
How does technology help shape the resiliency landscape? With the help of virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI), and gaming platforms, we can develop new strategies to help communicate and assess climate resiliency impacts and investments. This panel will showcase challenges and opportunities for local governments planning for resiliency using AI, how Minecraft can help with resilience planning, and how virtual reality helps people understand climate challenges and opportunities. Discover how these cutting-edge technologies are transforming how local governments plan, communicate, and invest in a more resilient future.
